Tablet dispensing device



AAug. 10, 1965 H. BRANDEIS 3,199,668

TABLET DISPENS ING DEVICE Filed Nov. 20, 1963 @MMI ' uffrm www JZ INVENTOR Yzmld mrzdal B 3,199,668 TABLET DISPENSENG DEVICE Harold Brandeis, Chicago, lll., assigner to Continental Glass Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 324,913 1i) Claims. (Cl. 24M-42) This invention relates to portable tablet dispensing devices designed to be carried in the users pocket. Although the dispensing device of the invention probably has its most important application as a dispenser of sacchar-ine tablets, it is also useful for dispensing other tablets, such as aspirin, etc.

Inrecent years, the use of saccharine as a sugar substitute has come into general use. Saccharine users commonly carry bottles of saccharine tablets with them so that they have them available the various times of the day when they purchase coiee or the like at restaurants, drug stores, etc. Saacharine tablets are very tiny, cylindrical, disc-shaped bodies which are diicult to dispense in proper amounts from the bottles or containers in which they are sold. Some attempts have been made at designing dispensing devices which can dispense one saccharine tablet at a time by the rotation of a dispensing knob or the like. However, these devices have left much to be desired from the .standpoints of ease of filling and dispensing the tablets, cost, absence of jamming of the table-ts, and other factors affecting the reliability and life of the devices.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tablet dispensing device which is useful for dispensing saccharine tablets or other forms of tablets in a much easier and more convenient Way than is possible with the forms of tablet dispensing devices heretofore developed. A re-V lated object of the invention is to provide a tablet dispensing device which dispenses a predetermined number of tablets at a time, preferably one, by the simple operation of pinching or compressing a portion of the dispenser container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tablet dispensing device which comprises only a few parts made of inexpensive materials, such as synthetic plastic materials substantially to reduce the cost of manufacture thereof over tablet dispensing devices heretofore developed. A related object of the invention is to make a tablet dispensing device as just described which comprises only a few, preferably only two, inexpensive molded plastic parts Where close tolerances are not required. A further related object of the invention is to provide a tablet dispensing device as described which readily can be made and assembled in a mass production operation and Where the design and arrangement of the parts are ysuch that the reject ratio is so insignificant that quality control checking operations are at a minimum or not needed at all.

Gther objects of the invention .are the provision of a tablet dispensing device as described which is so small and compact it can be carried in the users pocket, which easy to fill and operate when even small saccharine tablets are dispensed which is rugged in construction and which is reliable in operation.

yIn accordance with the most preferred form of the present invention, the tablet dispensing device comprises only two molded synthetic plastic parts, one being referred to as a container body and the other being referred to as a cover member. The container body and the cover member form a vertically elongated container assembly which clips into the users pocket as in the case of a fountain pen. To discharge a tablet from the container assembly, in the most preferred form of the invention the user merely grasps the top of the container assembly with the lingers of one hand, pulls the same from the pocket United States Patent O 3,199,668 Patented Ang. l0, i965 ICC and then, without the need for grasping the container assembly with the other hand or repositioning the lingers on the container assembly, a single tablet can be discharged by merely pinching the container .assembly once. A tablet is discharged each time the container assembly is pinched.

The container body preferably has a longitudinal tablet dispensing channel which opens onto the bottom of the container body to form a tablet discharge opening and is closed .at the upper end thereof. The channel preferably has a width corresponding to the thickness of the tablets land is fully open along one lateral side of the container -body so that the tablets can be readily inserted into the container body by inserting the same through the lateral open side of the channel, with the tablet axes extending transverse to the length of the channel to form a loose stack of tablets with their curved sides in abutment. This arrangement of the pills minimizes or eliminates sticking or jamming of the tablets. Insertion of the tablets into the container body is preferably done las the container body is held in an inverted inclined position with the normally closed upper end thereof below the normally open bottom end thereof, so that the tablets do not fall from the container body during the lill-ing of the dispensing device. The` container body may be provided with a resilient pocket clip extending from a lateral side thereof adjacent the side onto which the tablet-receiving channel opens. The clip is preferably an integral extension from the container body.

The cover member of the container assembly described above interlocks with and preferably slides longitudinallyV over the container body. The cover member of the preferred form of the invention includes a first longitudinal wall which covers the open lateral side of the tablet-receiving channel of the container body, and a second longitudinal wall which fits between the clip and the adjacent lateral side of the container body. The cover member is further provided with a lateral end wall which normally covers over the open end of the tablet discharge opening of the container body. The container body and the cover members are preferably pivotally mounted with respect to one another for relative lateral movement from a iirst normal relative position where the lateral end wall of the cover member covers the discharge opening of the container body. VWhen the container body assembly is pinched, the container body .and cover member assume a second relative position where the lateral end wall of lthe cover member uncovers the discharge opening to allow preferably a single tablet to fall from the bottom of the container body. The movement of the container body and the cover member into lthe second relative position also moves a projection into the bottom of the channel of the container body at a point below the tablet located above the tablet to be discharged from the container assembly, wherein the projection prevents the dropping of a second tablet from the container assembly for a rsingle pinching or compression of the container assembly.

In the preferred form of the invention, a resilient force urges the container body and cover member into the normal relative position where the discharge opening of the container body is covered by the lateral side wall of the cover member. 'Ihis force is most advantageously provided by the aforementioned pocket clip. The clip is a conventionally shaped clip having a base portion extending from the container body, an intermediate portion spaced from the container body and a free end portion which contacts or is contiguous to the container body. When the cover member is slid longitudinally into place over the container body, the free end portion of the clip rides over and resiliently contacts a wall of the cover member and supplies the force which urges the cover member into a position where the lateral end wall thereof covers over the tablet discharge opening.

Other aspects of the invention include constructional details of the container body and cover member which enable the same to be pivoted between the aforementioned realtive positions by simply pinching on the upper portion of a container assembly, and the manner in which the container body cover member are locked in position.

The aforesaid and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent by making reference to the specification to follow, the claims and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of the most preferred form of tablet dispensing device of the invention clipped in place on the pocket of the users coat or shirt;

FIG. 2 is a view of the tablet dispensing device of the invention being pinched or compressed between the users thumb and index finger, to effect the discharge of a single tablet from the dispensing device;

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which the two parts making up the tablet dispensing device are separated to enable the user to fill the dispensing device with tablets;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the tablet dispensing device in its normally uncompressed or unpinched position;

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG.'4 with the container body and cover member thereof in a position for discharging a tablet when the same is compressed o1' pinched between the users fingers;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the container body and cover member making up the tablet dispensing device illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the tablet dispensing device, taken along section line 7 7 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a transverse section through FIG. 7, taken substantially along section line 8 8 therein.

ReferrinU now to the drawings, the tablet dispenisng device of the invention illustrated in the drawings is identitied by reference numeral 2. The device is a vertically elongated container assembly comprising only two molded synthetic plastic parts 2a and 2b. The part 2a is referred to as a container body and the part 2b is referred to as a cover member. In a manner to be explained, the cover member 2b telescopes and interlocks with the container body 2a. The cover member pivots with respect to the container body as illustrated by the two dierent relative positions of these container parts respectively shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The container body 2a has a pocket clip 4 by means of which the dispensing device can be held in place on the users pocket 5 shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred form of the invention, the clip 4 forms a resilient spring which urges the two parts of the container assembly into the position shown in FIG. 4, where a tablet discharge opening 6 thereof is covered over by a lateral end wall 8 of the cover member, to prevent a tablet 10 from dropping from the bottom of the container body. When the upper portion of the tablet dispensing device is grasped between the thumb and index linger of the hand and pinched as shown in FIG. 2, the two parts of the container assembly assume the position shown in FIG. 5, which allows the bottommost tablet in the container body to drop through the discharge opening 6. A projection 12 forming part of the cover member 2b is then moved into position where it prevents the tablet above the bottommost tablet in the container body 2a from dropping through the discharge opening 6.

Now that the general construction and mode of operation of the preferred form of tablet dispensing device has been described, a detailed description of the container body 2a and the cover member 2b and the manner in which they tit together will be described.

The container body 2a has a generally elongated rectangular shape and includes a pair of spaced parallel longitudinal walls 14-14, a bridging wall 16 which extends between corresponding .margins of the longitudinal walls 14-14, and an end wall 18. Knurling 14a is formed on the outside of the upper end of the wall 14. The various walls referred to define a longitudinal channel 20 which is closed at the top and is open at the bottom and one lateral side of the container body 2a. The tablet discharge opening previously referred to is the open bottom end of the channel 26. The width of the channel 20 is slightly greater than the width of a tablet 10.

The tablets 10 as illustrated have a generally cylindrical shape, as is common with most medicine tablets such as saccharine tablets, aspirin, etc. The channel 20 receives the tablets 10 oriented with their axis extending transversely of the channel 2t) so that the tablets form a loose stack with the rounded sides of the tablets in abutment. This minimizes the area of contact between adjacent tablets and minimizes the possibility of the jamming or the sticking together of the tablets.

In loading the container body 2a, the cover 2b is removed therefrom in the manner illustrated in FIG 3, and the container body is held in an inclined inverted position where the normally top wall 1S is located below the normally open bottom end of the container body, so that the tablets can be simply dropped into place through the lateral open side of the channel 20 where they roll down to make contact with the adjacent tablet. In such case the stack of tablets are prevented from dropping out lof the container body due to the fact that the then bottom end of the channel 20 is closed by the end wall I3 of the container body. While the container body 2a is held in one hand in its inverted inclined position, the cover member 2b may be slid over the container body 2a in the manner to be explained to close off the open lateral side and end of the channel 20.

The pocket clip 4 extends from ythe longitudinal wall 14 contiguous to the laterally open side of the container body 2a, as best illustrated in FIG. 6. The clip 4 has what is sometimes referred to as a base portion 4a which joins the lateral longitudinal wall 14 at a point substantially spaced from the normally upper end of the container body 2a. The pocket clip 4 further has an intermediate portion 4b which is spaced substantially from the lateral and side wall 14 of ythe container body and a free end portion 4c with an inwardly projecting surface 22 which is normally contiguous lto the adjacent 4longitudinal side wall 14 of the container body. A concave pivot-form ing socket or groove 21 is formed at the juncture or crotch of the inner surfaces of the intermediate portion 4b and the base portion 4a of the clip 4 in which socket or groove the cover member 2b in a manner to be explained.

The cover member 2b has a main longitudinal cover wall 25 adapted to cover over the open lateral side of the channel 20 in the container body 2a. The cover wall 25 terminates in .the aforementioned lateral end wall 8. The lateral end wall normally covers over the discharge opening 6 of the container body in the normal position of the cover member and container body. As illustrated, the lateral end wall terminates in an upwardly extending lip 8 which extends along the bridging wall 16 of the container body to prevent outward exing of the cover wall 25 in the direction of the thickness thereof. The cover member also has a relatively short longitudinal wall 27 which isfspaced from and parallel to the cover wall 25 at the upper portion of the cover member. The longitudinal wall 27 is jointed to the cover wall 25 by an intermediate transverse wall 29 which is spaced substantially below the upper end of the longitudinal walls 25 and 27 t-o leave a clearance opening 28 therebetween. The transverse intermediate wall 29 has a longitudinally extending projecting portion 30, the upper portion 30a of which provides a rising surface over which the inwardly projecting portion 22 of the clip 4 rises as the cover member is moved longitudinally along the container `body 2a during assembly of the dispensing device. The cover member projection 30 has a depression 30b beyond the peak thereof into which the projecting portion 22 of the clip 4 passes when the cover member is fully inserted onto the container body 2a. ln this position of the cover member, the upper edge or surface 33 of the intermediate transverse wall 29 of the cover member tits fully into the pivot-forming socket or groove 21 formed by the clip 4. The upper surface or edge 33 of the wall 29 has a generally convex shape mating with the concave shape of the socket 21 to constitute a pivot surface for the cover member 2b.

The clip 4 urges the cover member 2b into a position where the intermediate wall 29 lies against the adjacent longitudinal wall 14 of the container body 2a.

The longitudinal edges 25a and 27a of the cover member walls 25 and 27 nearest the clip 4 extend substantially beyond the clip-carrying longitudinal Wall 14 of the container body 2a, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The longitudinal edges of the cover member walls 25 and 27 remote from the edges 25a and 27a just described are positioned within the perimeter of the longitudinal wall 14' facing the clipcarrying wall 14 of the container body 2a. Accordingly, when the tablet dispensing device 2 is grasped, as it would be upon removal thereof from the users pocket with the users index finger touching the longitudinal edges 25a and 27a of the cover member nearest the clip 4 and the .thumb engaging the knurling 14a on the outside of the longitudinal wall 14 of the container body, a pinching of the container assembly will effect the pivoting of the upper portion of the cover member toward the clip 4 made possible by the clearance space of the upper portion of the container body and the consequent moving of the cover member wall 29 toward the clip 4 and away from the container body below the outside of the clip which is flexed outwardly. The lateral end wall 8 of the cover member 2b is thus pivoted away from beneath the discharge opening 6 of the container body 2a.

The cover wall 25 of the cover member 2b has adjacent the edge thereof remote from the edge contiguous to the clip 4 the aforementioned lateral projection 12 which, in the uncompressed position of the dispensing device is completely removed from the channel 2t) of the container body 2a. However, when the bottom end of the cover member is pivoted by the pinching of the upper end of the dispensing device, as the lateral end wall 8 moves laterally outwardly of the discharge opening 6 the projection 12 is brought within the channel 2t) where it engages the bottom of the tablet above the one released through the discharge opening 6. The longitudinal wall 114 of the container body 2a is provided with a cutaway portion 37 to leave clearance for passing of the projection into the channel when the dispensing device is compressed and for movement of the projection 12 when .the cover member 2b is slid into the container body.

Separation of the cover member 2b from the container body 2a is effected as above indicated in the manner shown in FIG. 3. A suitable indentation 38 is provided in the upper edge of the longitudinal wall of the cover member for insertion of the tips of the nails of the rst two fingers of the hand. Then the nail of the thumb is placed beneath the bottom end of the clip 4 and the thumb and fingers forced toward one another to separate the cover member 2b and the container body 2a. The cover member 2b is readily reinserted in position over the container body by simply telescoping the normally upper end of the cover member 2b over the normally bottom end of the container body 2a, and moving the cover member toward the clip 4 until the inwardly projecting portion 22 of the clip snaps into locking position within the depression h of the projection 30a of the cover member. This assembly operation is of course carried out while the container body 2a is held in an inverted position so that the tablets do not fall from the open bottom of the channel 20, as above indicated.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings is the most preferred form of the invention. However,

other embodiments have been constructed wherein, for example, the pivot point between the cover member and the container body is at the upper end of the dispensing device rather than at a point intermediate the ends thereof. ln such case it is necessary for the user to pinch the container body at an intermediate point of the dispensing device, which requires repositioning of the fingers from the position which they assume when the dispensing device is grasped for removal from the users pocket. Also, another embodiment was constructed wherein the clip 4 has a separate spring member which also included as a part thereof the lateral end wall 8 and the projection 12. These forms of the invention, however, are more expensive to construct and more difficult to manipulate. The preferred form of the invention illustrated in the drawings requires only two plastic molded parts which interfit to form an extremely easy to assemble and reliably operating dispensing device of exceedingly small cost.

It should be understood, therefore, that numerous modifications may be made in the preferred form of the invention described in detail above without deviating from the broader aspects thereof.

I claim:

1. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container for tablets sized to fit vertically into the users pocket, said elongated container having a vertical tablet-receiving chamber therein for stacking tablets one on top of the other, the chamber loosely receiving the tablets wherein the weight of the tablets would cause it to drop to the lowest unobstructed point in the chamber, a tablet discharge opening at the bottom end of said container through which opening the bottom-most table in said chamber may freely drop when the opening is unobstructed, said discharge opening facing downwardly wherein a tablet falls out of the container where the discharge opening is unobstructed for any angle of the device when the normally bottom end thereof is below the normally upper end thereof, tablet metering means on the container movable between a normal discharge opening covering position where .the bottommost tablet cannot drop through said discharge opening and a discharge opening uncovering position where the bottommost tablet in said chamber drops through said opening, force applying means providing a force which resiliently urges said metering means into said discharge opening covering position, a tablet stopping projection which is positioned laterally on the side `of said container chamber when said metering means is in said discharge opening covering position and is moved into said container chamber to engage the bottom of the tablet above the bottommost tablet in the chamber falling through said discharge opening when the metering means is in said discharge opening uncovering position and operating means to be engaged by the users fingers for moving said metering means from said discharge opening covering to said discharge opening uncovering position against the restraining force of said force applying means, wherein release of said operating means returns the metering means to said discharge openlng covering position.

2. A tablet dispensing device comprising:V a vertically elongated container for tablets sized to fit vertically into lthe users pocket, a clip on said container spaced from the top thereof for holding the container in place on the pocket, said elongated container having a vertical tabletreceiving chamber therein for stacking tablets one on top of the other, the chamber loosely receiving the tablets wherein the weight of the tablets would cause it to drop to the lowest unobstructed point in the chamber, a tablet discharge opening at the bottom end of said container through which opening the bottommost tablet in said chamber may freely drop when the opening is unobstructed, said discharge opening facing downwardly wherein a tablet falls out of the container where the discharge opening is unobstructed for any angle of the device when the normally bottom end thereof is below the normally upper end thereof, tablet metering means on the container laterally movable by pinching the container above said clip between a normal discharge opening covering position where the bottommost tablet can drop through said discharge opening and a discharge opening uncovering position where the bottommost tablet in said chamber drops through said opening, and force applying means providing a force which resiliently urges said metering means into said discharge opening covering position, wherein release of said operating means returns the metering means to said discharge opening covering position.

3. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container for tablets including a main container body forming a longitudinal tablet-receiving channel which opens onto the bottom end of the container body to form a tablet discharge opening, said discharge opening facing downwardly wherein a tablet falls out of the container where the discharge opening is unobstructed for any angle of the device when the normally bottom end thereof is below the normally upper end thereof, said channel being fully open along one lateral side of said container body wherein the tablets can be readily inserted into said channel from the open lateral side of the channel, and being sized to receive the tablets in stacked relation, said container further including a cover member which interlocks with said container body, said cover member having a longitudinal wall which covers the open lateral side of said channel and a lateral end wall portion which normally covers over the open end of the channel, said cover member being mounted for relative lateral movement with respect to said container body between a first position where said lateral end wall of the cover member covers the open end of said channel and a second position where said lateral end Wall uncovers said open end of said channel, means normally resiliently urging said cover member into said first position, and said container body and cover member having exposed finger engageable surfaces on opposite sides of the container assembly for moving said cover member into said second position by pinching the container.

4. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container for cylindrical tablets including a main container body forming a longitudinal tablet-receiving channel which opens onto the bottom end of the container body to form a tablet discharge opening, said discharge opening facing downwardly wherein a tablet falls out of the container where the discharge opening is unobstructed for any angle of the device when the normally bottom end thereof is below the normally upper end thereof, said channel having a width corresponding to the thickness of said tablets and being fully open along one lateral side of said container body wherein the tablets can be readily inserted into said channel from the open lateral side of the channel with their axes transverse to the length of the channel to form a stack of tablets with their curved sides in abutment, said container further including a cover member which interlocks with said container body, said cover member having a longitudinal wall which covers the open lateral side of said channel and a lateral end wall portion which normally covers over the open end of the channel, said cover member being mounted for relative lateral movement with respect to said container body between a first position where said lateral end wall of the cover member covers the open end of said channel and a second position where said lateral end wall uncovers said open end of said channel, means normally resiliently urging said cover member into said first position, a tablet stopping projection on the edge of said longitudinal wall of said cover member which moves into the container body when the cover member moves into said second uncovering position to engage the tablet above the bottommost tablet in the chamber falling through said discharge opening, and said container body and cover member having exposed finger engageable surfaces on opposite sides of the container assembly for moving said cover member into said second position by pinching the container.

5. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container for cylindrical tablets including a main container body forming a longitudinal tablet-receiving channel which opens onto the bottom end of the container body to form a tablet discharge opening and is sized to receive the cylindrical tablets in stacked relation with their curved sides in abutment, said discharge opening facing downwardly wherein a tablet falls out of the container where the discharge opening is unobstructed for any angle of the device when the normally bottom end thereof is below the normally upper end thereof, said container further including a cover member which interlocks with said container body, said cover member having a lateral end wall portion which normally covers over the open end of the channel, said cover member being mounted for lateral movement relative to said container body between a first position where said lateral end wall portion of the cover member covers the open end of said channel and a second position where said latter end wall uncovers the bottom end of said channel, means normally resiliently urging said cover member into said first position, a tablet stopping projection on the edge of said longitudinal wall of said cover member which moves into the container body when the cover member moves into said second uncovering position to engage the tablet above the bottommost tablet in the chamber falling through said discharge opening, and said container body and cover member having exposed finger engageable surfaces on opposite sides of the container assembly for moving said cover member into said second position by pinching the container.

6. A tablet dispensing device comprising: an elongated container assembly for tablets including a container body forming a longitudinal tablet-receiving channel which opens onto one end of the body to form a tablet discharge opening and is sized to receive the tablets in stacked relation, said container body having a resilient pocket clip extending from a lateral side thereof, said clip having a base portion connected to said container body and a longitudinally extending intermediate portion spaced appreciably from the container body and terminating in a free end position contiguous to said container body, said container assembly yfurther including a cover member which interlocks with and slides longitudinally over said container body and includes a longitudinal wall which lits between said clip and the adjacent lateral side of said container body and a lateral end wall which normally covers over the open end of said channel, said longitudinal wall having a portion contacted by said free end portion of said clip which resiliently urges said cover member into a rst position where said lateral end wall of the cover member covers the open end of said channel, said cover member being movable into a second position in the direction of said clip where the clip is flexed outwardly and said lateral end Wall uncovers the open end of said channel, and said container body and cover member having exposed finger engageable surfaces on opposite sides of the container assembly for moving said cover member into said second position by pinching the container assembly.

7. The tablet dispensing device of claim 6 wherein said longitudinal wall of said cover member has a projecting portion over which the free end portion of said clip passes as said cover member is slid into place on the container member and a depression beyond the peak of said projecting portion into which the clip end snaps resiliently to lock said body and cover members together.

8. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container assembly for cylindrical tablets including a container body forming a longitudinal tabletreceiving channel which opens onto the bottom end of the body to form a tablet discharge opening and is closed at the upper end of the container body, said channel having a width corresponding to the thickness of said tablets and being fully open along one lateral side of said container body wherein the tablets can be readily inserted into said channel from the open lateral side of the channel with their axes transverse to the length of the channel to form a stack of tablets with their curved sides in abutment when the body member is held in an inverted inclined position with the normally closed upper end thereof below the normally open bottom end thereof, said container body having a resilient pocket clip extending from a lateral side thereof adjacent the lateral side onto which said channel opens, said clip having a base portion connected to said container body and a longitudinally extending intermediate portion spaced appreciably from the container body and terminating in a free end position contiguous to said container body, said container assembly further including a cover member which interlocks with and slides longitudinally over said container body and includes a first longitudinal wall which covers the open lateral side of said channel, a second longitudinal wall which fits between said clip and the adjacent lateral side of said container body, and a lateral end Wall portion which normally covers over the open end of said channel, said second longitudinal wall having a portion contacted by said free end portion of said clip which resiliently urges said cover member into a first position where said lateral end wall portion of the cover member covers the open end of said channel, said cover member being movable into a second position in the direction of said clip where the clip is flexed outwardly and said latter end wall portion of said cover member uncovers the bottom end of said channel, and said container body and cover member having exposed finger engageable surfaces on opposite sides of the container assembly for moving said cover member into said second position by pinching the container assembly.

9. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container assembly including a container body forming a longitudinal tablet-receiving channel which opens onto the bottom end of the container body to form a tablet discharge opening and is sized to receive the tablets in loose stacked relation, said container body having a resilient pocket clip extending from a lateral side thereof at a point spaced from the upper end of the container body, the clip having a base portion connected to said container body, and a downwardly extending intermediate portion spaced appreciably for much of its length from the container body and terminating in a free end portion contiguous to said container body, said container assembly further including a cover member which interlocks with and slides longitudinally over said container body and includes a longitudinal wall which lits between said clip in the adjacent lateral side of said container body and a lateral end wall which normally covers over the open end of said channel, said longitudinal wall having an edge which engages the crotch between said base portion of said clip and the intermediate portion thereof, the crotch forming a pivot surface upon which said cover member pivots with respect to the container body in a lateral direction toward and away from said clip, said longitudinal wall having a portion contacted by said free end portion of said clip which urges and normally holds said cover member and container body in a position where said lateral end wall of the cover member covers over the open end of said container body channel,

said second longitudinal wall of said cover member being pressible toward said container body at a point above said clip, which pivots said cover member relative to said container body to a position where said lateral end wall of said cover member uncovers the open end of said channel.

10. A tablet dispensing device comprising: a vertically elongated container assembly for cylindrically shaped tablets including a container body member forming a longitudinal tablet-receiving channel which opens onto the bottom end of the container body to form a tablet discharge opening and is closed at the upper end of the container body, said channel having a width corresponding to the thickness of said tablets and being fully opened along one lateral side of said container body wherein the tablets can be readily inserted into said channel from the open lateral side of the channel with their aXis transverse to the length of the channel to form a loose stack of tablets with their curved sides in abutment when the container body is held in an inverted inclined position with the normally closed upper end thereof below the normally opened bottom end thereof, said container body having a resilient pocket clip extending from a lateral side thereof adjacent the lateral side onto which the channel opens and at a point spaced from the upper end of the container body, the clip having a base portion connected to said container body and a downwardly extending intermediate portion spaced appreciably for much of its length from the container body and terminating in a free end portion contiguous to said container body, said container assembly further including a cover member which interlocks with and slides longitudinally over said container body and includes a first longitudinal wall which covers the open lateral side of said channel, a second longitudinal wall which tits between said clip in the adjacent lateral side of said container body and a lateral end wall which normally covers over the open end of said channel, said second longitudinal wall having an edge which engages the crotch between said base portion of said clip and the intermediate portion thereof, the crotch forming a pivot surface about which said cover member pivots with respect to the container body in a lateral direction toward and away from said clip, said second longitudinal wall having a portion contacted byv said free end portion of said clip which urges and normally holds said cover member and container body in a position where said lateral end wall of the cover member covers over the open end of said container body channel, said second longitudinal wall of said cover member and the lateral side of said container body opposite the one including said clip being compressible at a point above said clip, which pivots said cover member relative to said container body to a position where said lateral end wall uncovers the open end of said channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,754,030 7/56 Waber et al. 206-42 2,772,772 12/56 Taylor 206-42 2,962,155 11/ 60 Rusciano 206-43 3,061,082 10/ 62 Schenker 206-42 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O` RALSTON, Examiner. 

1. A TABLE DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING: A VERTICALLY ELONGATED CONTAINER FOR TABLETS SIZED TO FIT VERTICALLY INTO THE USER''S POCKET, SAID ELONGATED CONTAINER HAVING A VERTICAL TABLET-RECEIVING CHAMBER THEREIN FOR STACKING TABLETS ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER, THE CHAMBER LOOSELY RECEIVING THE TABLETS WHEREIN THE WEIGHT OF THE TABLETS WOULD CAUSE IT TO DROP TO THE LOWEST UNOSTRUCTED POINT IN THE CHAMBER, A TABLET DISCHARGE OPENING AT THE BOTTOM END OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH OPENING THE BOTTOM-MOST TABLE IN SAID CHAMBER MAY FREELY DDROP WHEN THE OPENING IS UNOBSTRUCTED, SAID DISCHARGE OPENING FACING DOWNWARDLY WHEREIN A TABLET FALLS OUT OF THE CONTAINER WHERE THE DISCHARGE OPENING IS UNOBSTRUCTED FOR ANY ANGLE OF THE DEVICE WHEN THE NORMALLY BOTTOM END THEREOFI S BELOW THE NORMALLY UPPER END THEREOF, TABLET METERING MEANS ON THE CONTAINER MOVABLE BETWEEN A NORMAL DISCHARGE OPENING COVERING POSITION WHERE THE BOTTOMMOST TABLET CANNOT DROP THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND A DISCHARGE OPENING UNCOVERING POSITION WHERE THE BOTTOMMOST TABLET IN SAID CHAMBER DROPS THROUGH SAID OPENING , FORCE APPLYING MEANS PROVIDING A FORCE WHICH RESILIENTLY URGES SAID METERING MEANS INTO SAID DISCHARGE OPENING COVERING POSITION, A TABLET STOPPING PROJECTION WHICH IS POSITIONED LATERALLY ON THE SIDE OF SAID CONTAINER CHAMBER WHEN SAID METERING MEANS IS IN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING COVERING POSITION AND IS MOVED INOT SAID CONTAINER CHAMBER TO ENGAGE THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLET ABOVE THE BOTTOMMOST TABLET IN THE CHAMBER FALLING THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING WHEN THE METERING MEANS IS IN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING UNCOVERING POSITION AND OPERATING MEANS TO BE ENGAGED BY THE USER''S FINGERS FOR MOVING SAID METERING MEANS FROM SAID DISCHARGE OPENING COVERING TO SAID DISCHARGE OPENING UNCOVERING POSITION AGAINST THE RESTRAINING FORCE OF SAID FORCE APPLYING MEANS, WHEREIN RELEASE OF SAID OPERATING MEANS RETURNS THE METERING MEANS TO SAID DISCHARGE OPENING COVERING POSITION. 